Portable dispensing drum and method of refilling



March 21, 1950 R. A. NICHOLSON PORTABLE DISPENSING DRUM AND METHOD REFILLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1944 March 21, 1950 R. A. NICHOLSON 2,501,611

PORTABLE DISPENSING DRUM AND METHOD o1 REFILLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1944 Patented Mar. 21, 1950 PORTABLE DISPENSING DRUM AND METHOD OF REFILLING Ralph A. Nicholson, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation, Harrison, N. .L, a corporation of Delaware Application June 21, 1944, Serial No, 541,335

2 Claims.

This invention pertains to liquid dispensing apparatus of the pressure type .and has particular application to beverage dispensers employing carbon dioxide gas as the pressure medium.

It is common practice to use carbon dioxide compressed in tanks to supply a head of pressure for driving beverages from a supply tank to a dispensing spigot; however, this practice has always been accompanied by problems involving the regulation .of uniform pressures behind the beverage as the supply of both the beverage and gas diminished, and numerous expediencies are resorted to in meeting such problems, involving the provision of regulating valves and equipment more or less costly and complicated, and not completely satisfactory.

A further important objection to the prior practices resides in the fact that the carbon dioxide is commonly confined in heavy and bulky tanks which must be periodically replaced with fully charged tanks or cylinders to be coupled to the dispensing line or beverage supply source, the latter commonly being another tank or drum, which must likewise be replaced at intervals.

The present invention provides an improved method and means for dispensing liquids, particularly beverages, in which the gas supply and beverage or other liquid are combined in a single unit with self-contained regulating features and other advantages making it possible to do away with .the bulls, expense, and service problems which have characterized the prior practices, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

More particularly, the invention provides a beverage-supply drum, for example, having .a

small auxiliary container disposed interior-1y thereof with cooperating valve means and connections for coupling with a supply of liquid carbon dioxide, such that the auxiliary container or bomb receives a charge of the liquid gas, and thereafter, the supply drum, which is presumed to have been charged with the beverage to be dispensed prior to receiving the gascharge, there after receives a gas charge of predetermined degree of pressure by expansion of the liquid gas from the charging line.

As the supply of both beverage and gas diminishes in the main drum, the self-contained regulating means permits necessary amounts of the liquid gas to expand into the main drum as a gas, until the required head of pressure is restored.

Additional objects and advantages of the improved method and apparatus relate to details of construction and operation of the preferred 2 embodiments and practices hereinafter described, by means of which the old cumbersome as supply equipment is done away with, along with the attendant servicing problems, making it possible to deliver to the user a beverage supply drum of the same size commonly used with prior methods, but having self-contained gas supply and regulating equipment, which, in addition to the features hereinbefore alluded to, has certain advantages from a sanitary viewpoint, all of which will appear as the following description proceeds in view of the annexed drawings in which:

Fig. l is a schematic diagram illustrating the charging operation utilized in conjunction with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section, with parts shown in elevation, of the novel dispensing apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional detail, to enlarged scale of parts ofthe pressure unit, parts being shown in elevation.

Referring to Fig. 2, I prefer to use a stainless steel drum It of rounded construction suitable for pressure operation, and having welded to the bottom portion thereof, as at i l an annular skirt 12. At the top, the drum has an integral, reentrant lip 13, to which is welded, as at 14, a recessed ring or annulus l5, constituting a seat for the novel pressure unit.

Fitted into the recessed portion of the seating annulus I5 is a solid metal insert of annular shape, designated at 15, upon which is disposed a gasket 11, and upon this gasket is secured a bronze casting I8 constituting one of the main parts of the pressure unit, this casting being held down by bolts is threaded into the ring it, the interiorlyexposed portions, at least, of this bronze casting preferably being silver plated for sanitary EPLIID Q Threaded into the left side of the casting 18 at an angle is ,a charging port or nipple 2t fitted with a suitable screw cap 21 and retaining chain 22, and this port or nipple feeds into a charging passage 23 which terminates in a lower well 24 having an open bottom which is normally closed bya screw plug 25.

Within the well 24 is a regulating valve plunger 25, the construction of which is better seen in vFig. l, and valve is normally urged upwardly against its valve seat 2! by a spring 28 within the well and surrounding stem 29, which is guidedly seated at its lower end in the plug 25.

Threaded into the top of the casting is a dome member 30 housing the spring 3| for a regulating valve diaphragm 32 held in its seat 33 by the threaded fitting of the dome member, there being a stem 34 secured to this diaphragm and bearing at its lower end upon the valve member 26, such that when there is insufficient pressure working against the underside of the regulating valve diaphragm through the passage 35, communicating to the interior of the main drum, the spring 3] will overcome the effort of spring 28 and cause the valve member 26 to descend, thus opening the regulating valve so that passage 23 is open to passage 35 leading into the main drum. Tension of the regulating spring 3! is adjusted by manipulation of screw 31 and its lock nut 38.

A further important part of the pressure unit, as seen first in Fig. 2, and in greater detail in Fig. 4, is an auxiliary container or bomb 4!! threadably secured, as at 41, into the bottom of the casting is and communicating with passage 23 through a branch passage 42. This auxiliary container is adapted to withstand relatively high pressures internally, for example at least 900 pounds per squar inch, and is preferably made of stainless steel, since it is disposed entirely within the main drum and exposed to the beverage to be contained therein.

As viewed in Fig. 4, there is: threadably fitted into the right-hand side of the pressure unit casting, a combination bleeder and safety valve generally indicated at 45, and including a valve member 46 fitted with a stem 41 which projects upwardly for connection 48 with an operating toggle 49, which may be elevated from the normally closed position of Fig. 2 to withdraw the valve member 46 from its seat 44 against the tension of spring 50, whereby to open communication between passage from within the main drum, through the clearance passage 52 in the valve unit exteriorly of the latter, so that pressure within the main drum may be relieved, either automatically, when the pressure exceeds the eiiort of spring it, or manually, as by elevating the toggle 49, when it is desired to spill the pressure for any reason.

Referring again to Fig. 2, the construction of the main drum is completed by the provision of a filling port 60, fitted with a screw cap SI and retaining chain 62; and by the provision at the opposite side of the drum of a refill passage in the form of a nipple 63 having a cap 64 and retaining chain 65, and a feed tube 66 extending angularly downward to terminate just above the lowermost portions of the drum. The pressure unit is protected by an annular chime 6'! welded to the top of the drum.

In charging the drum with beverage under pressure, according to the methods of this invention, and particularly when the drums are newly put into service, the screw cap BI is removed and the desired beverage introduced through port Bil to a level leaving a space thereabove for a gaseous charge, and thereupon, the cap (it is replaced.

Assuming the regulating valve to be set to a desired pressure, for example about 30 lbs. per square inch, and the valve 45 to be closed, and cap 64 in place, the barrels or drums Ina, lllb, etc. are connected, as in Fig. 1, to a multiple charging apparatus by coupling charging lines a, lilb to the corresponding charging nipples of the several drums. Charging lines 10a, 1% connect through corresponding control valves Ila, Hb to a vacuum line 12 maintained at low pressure by vacuum pump means 13.

With control valves Ha, lib, etc. open, the pressure within the auxiliary containers or bombs 40 associated with the several drums connected to the charging unit, will be quickly reduced, as it will also within the drums themselves, and when this condition is obtained, as by an indication on gauge means its, the vacuum header valves Ha, 'Hb are closed and charging valves 14a, 1417 are then opened, connecting a liquid carbon dioxide header or line 15 with the several drums, with the result that liquid carbon dioxide or other suitable liquid gas instantly enters and substantially fills the several auxiliary containers or bombs 40 through passages 23 and 42, and thereafter the incoming liquid gas expands to gaseous state through the regulating valve and passage into the main drum until the pressure condition is reached therein for which the regulating valve has been adjusted, whereupon the charging operation is completed and the drums may be disconnected from the charging system of Fig. 1. The foregoing charging operation is very rapid, requiring only a matter of seconds to substantially evacuate the drum units and charge the same with liquid gas.

When the individual drums, thus charged, are to be placed in service, they are connected through nipples 63 with the dispensing line, and as the beverage and original gaseous charge in these-drums diminishes, the regulating valve means 26, etc. operates at proper intervals to permit the expansion of liquid carbon dioxide from the self-contained liquid gas supply in bombs to restore the proper head of gas pressure within the drums and for which the regulating valve means is set.

Accordingly, substantially all of the beverage within the main drum will be dispensed, and moreover, there will be a residual gas charge within the drum when this condition is reached, such that it will be merely necessary, in order to refill the drum with a fresh supply of beverage through the nipple 63, backed by sufiicient applied pressure to overcome the residual pressure r existing within the drum at the time it is emptied.

This method of refilling with fresh beverage makes it unnecessary to wash or clean the drums each time they are refilled, for no contaminating air is permitted to enter the drum after it has been initially charged and filled as described above, and, moreover, the residual pressure and charge of carbon dioxide is recognized as being to an extent germicidal. Should the residual pressure be considerable at the time the drum is emptied of its beverage content and connected for refill as aforesaid. the bleeder valve may be opened by raising toggle 49, and the pressure will be dissipated with relative slowness as the fresh supply of beverage enters the drum under pressure, the clearance passage 52 and associated valve means 4446 being proportioned with this object in view, so that under these conditions, also, no outside air is permitted to enter the drum during the refilling operation. When the fresh beverage supply has been introduced as aforesaid, the drum may be connected to the gas charging unit for a charging operation as hereinbefore described.

According to the present invention, I have provided a novel beverage dispensing means including a supply drum having an auxiliary container of liquid gas therein, and a unitary regulating Valve system which provides for the automatic expansion of the liquid gas to a gaseous state within the main drum to maintain a constant desired head of pressure therein, the novel dispensing means being a compact, self-contained unit so contrived that it may be handled as such and charged as such. In addition, the invention provides a method for refilling and charging the self-contained dispensing means which renders it unnecessary to clean the drums upon each refill by virtue of the exclusion of contaminating air and the like.

Modifications of the precise form of the invention set forth herein for purposes of illustration will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is the intention that the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the provisions of the appended claims, as follows.

I claim:

1. The hygienic method of refilling portable drums in preparation for dispensing beverage therefrom, each of said drums being of the type having a filling port and a self-contained gas charge in substantial excess of the amount necessary to expel the beverage contents thereof, together with means in the drum for regulating the gas flow from said charge into the drum, which method comprises refilling said drum through said filling port to displace residual excess gas therein, closing said port, drawing a vacuum against the residuum of self-contained gas charge and replacing the vacuum with a new gas charge likewise in excess of the amount neces-- sary to expel the beverage contents refilled into the drum and under pressure adequate to liquify said gas.

2. In a hygienic beverage dispensing system, a portable drum having a filling port, normally closed, a dispensing port normally closed and openable for connection with a dispensing line, a unitary pressure head including a gas charging port and a gas bleeder port valve together with a chamber for liquid carbon dioxide charge able from said charging port, and a regulating valve admitting gas in regulated amounts into said drum, said chamber containing a quantity of carbon dioxide in excess of the amount neces sary to expel the contents of said drum and maintain an excess of gas therein to exclude air therefrom when the drum is emptied of beverage contents, said excess gas being displaced substantially by refilling of beverage through said filling port, and means for recharging carbon dioxide into said chamber and including a vacuum line connectible with said charging port to substantially evacuate said chamber and having connections for admission, through said vacuum line, of liquid carbon dioxide into said charging port and said chamber in excess amount as aforesaid.

RALPH A. NICHOLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 575,932 Nageldinger Jan. 26, 1897 613,804 Muller Nov. 8, 1898 804,478 Kruger Nov. 14, 1905 1,591,932 Young July 6, 1926 1,959,815 Corcoran May 22, 1934 2,110,840 Kann Mar. 8, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,533 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1887 736,613 France Sept. 20, 1932 816,285 France Apr. 26, 1937 

